I develop a butt-head

Initially, for this blog I had intended to elaborate on variations of the word “thing,” as promised two blogs ago.  However, I have developed a case of “butt-head.”  While looking for a different file in my Word documents, I ran across a riff on the word “butt” from years ago.  At this point, I cannot remember exactly what set off those musings, BUT I believe it had something to do with my daughter and grandchildren.  (Sorry Laura.)

    1.    Butt (adjective)—an average-sized rear end

    2.    Butter (comparative adjective)—a bigger rear end

    3.    Buttest  (comparative adjective)—the largest rear end

    4.    Butt (noun)—a male rear end

    5.    Buttress (noun)—a female rear end

    6.    Buttery (adjective)—someone with a sizeable rear end

    7.    Buttock  (noun)—the second sound a butt clock makes

    8.    Buttick (noun)—the first sound a butt clock makes

    9.    Button (verb)—putting padding on the buttocks in order to make clothes fit better

   10. Buttoff (verb)—taking off padding from the buttock

   11. Butterfly (verb)—what happens when someone with a bigger rear end (see #2 above and NOTE below) makes a journey by air

    12.   Buttercup (noun)—what a butter drinks liquids from

    13. Butterscotch (noun)—a butter’s favorite alcoholic drink

    14.  Butternut (noun)—someone who likes butters a lot

    15.   Butterball (noun)—a butter’s favorite sport; a formal dance for a butter; a butter having a really good time

 (NOTE: For #11 to #15, I will not quibble if you interpret “butter” as someone who rams things, especially with the head, as in Chaucer’s Miller.)

After finding the original file, I went to my American Heritage College Dictionary, 4^th ed. to see what other forms of “butt” I might find.  I added a few variations to my list.  “Button” and “butter” are quite prolific parent words in various contexts.

I have to add two “butt-“ words new to me, in all seriousness. “Butt hinge” means “a hinge of two plates attached to abutting [my bold] surfaces of a door and door jamb and joined by a pin.”  Obviously, standard issue door hinges are butt hinges, so most of us with doors have butt hinges, which gives butting in doors (or butting on doors) new meaning.  (Do we “button” our doors instead of close them?  When we take the hinges off our doors, is our behavior “off-butting”?)  “Butt joint” means “a joint formed by two abutting [my bold] surfaces placed squarely together.”  Now, regarding how “butt joints” might relate to “buttocks,” I am going to let you make your own wise cracks.